Needle threaders



April 14, 1970 J. P. SMITH NEEDLE THREADERS Filed July 6. 1967 INVENTOR.

James P. Smith 3,505,965 Patented Apr. 14, 1970 3,505,965 NEEDLE THREADERS James P. Smith, Rockaway, NJ., assignor to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Y Filed July 6, 1967, Ser. No. 651,616 Int. Cl. D05b 87/02 U.S. Cl. 112-225 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A needle threader for a sewing machine having an arm mounted for sidewise as well as vertical swinging movement on the machine head and a needle-threading member disposed at the free extremity of the arm adapted to enter the eye of a needle when the arm is swung down into operative position. The needle-threading member is properly aligned with the needle eye by means of a positioning member on the needle bar and a spring clip which straddles the needle.

SUMMARY This invention relates to the art of sewing, and more particularly to a novel and improved needle-threading device adapted for attachment to a sewing machine, whereby when it is desired to thread the needle eye the device readily is brought into operative position so that the threading member is accurately aligned with the needle eye.

The needle threader of the present invention comprises a sheet metal swinging arm with an olset finger grip and formed at one end with a mounting slot. The mounting slot accommodates fastening means mounted to the machine head to permit sidewise as Well as vertical swinging movement and limited vertical shift of the arm relative to the head. The arm is formed with a keyhole slot adapted to register with a locating screw attached to the needle clamp of the needle bar. The needle engaging end of the swinging arm is straddled by a spring clip mounted thereon, having spaced pairs of needle embracing fingers with a thread engaging hook disposed therebetween. The hook is oriented when brought into operative position so as to be in alignment with the needle eye. Furthermore, the needle-threading member is disposed rearwardly of the needle eye so that the threading operation is performed from front to back. The distance between the keyhole slotand the hook is substantially the same as the distance between the locating screw and the needle eye when the needle is in its uppermost position, the slot affording minor vertical movement of the needle threader so as to reduce the accuracy needed in positioning the needle in its upper position.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an improved type of needle-threading device.

Another object is to provide needle-threading device which is simple, easy to manipulate and assures accuracy in aligning the threading apparatus with the needle eye.

It is also an object of the invention to provide needlethreading device which is easily adapted to different machines and can be used by inexperienced operators.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a needle-threading device which threads in a manner such that the needle and the device are readily accessible.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from an understanding of the disclosure, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the art readily to understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates an end elevational view of the sewing machine head with the hinged end cover removed to show the needle-threading device in its stored position,

FIG. 2 illustrates the same view as FIG. 1 only the needle-threading device is swung down into its operative needle-thrwding position,

FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed perspective view of the needle-threading device in its operative position according to the present invention, and

FIG. 4 illustrates a detached perspective view of the spring clip and thread-engaging hook together with a portion of the swinging arm on which they are mounted.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more specifically to the drawings, wherein similar parts will be given the same reference numerals, there is disclosed a head 1 of a sewing machine, such as described in U.S. Patents Nos. 3,055,326 and 3,115,110, having a needle-threading device 2 disposed therein. The threading device comprises an elongated metal arm 3 having an offset finger grip 4 and formed at one end thereof with an elongated opening or slot 5, the said slot being adapted to accommodate a headed fastening screw 6 for mounting the arm 3 to the sewing machine head. The screw 6 is threaded into a boss on the lower portion of the head 1 and constrains a beehive spring 7 against the arm 3 so that the arm is mounted on the machine head for sidewise and vertical swinging movement.

In proximity to and substantially opposite the linger grip 4 of the arm 3 is formed a keyhole-shaped locating slot 8, disposed internally of the head when the arm is swung up into a stored position. When the arm is in retracted or inoperative position, the keyhole slot 8 regis` ters with a raised seat 9 formed on an arm 10 preferably secured to the usual presser foot pressure regulating bracket 11, thereby holding the needle-threading device in retracted position Within the machine head. This arrangement is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The arm 3, when swung down into its operative position, engages by way of the said keyhole-shaped slot, a shouldered locating screw 12 which is a fastening for a modiiied thread guide 13 on a needle clamp 14 mounted to a sewing machine needle bar 1S. The screw 12 serves as a needle thread-eye position reference element and functions accurately to locate the thread-engaging element of the needle threading device with respect to the needle-eye.

The arm 3 of the needle threader 2 is biased inwardly by the spring 7 when in its stored and operative positions. That is, when the needle threader is viewed in either of the positions shown in FIGS. 1 or 2 the spring 7 provides a bias which urges the arm 3 away from the viewer or inwardly away from the hinged end cover (not shown). This bias assists in retaining the needle threader in its position. Thus, when the arm 3 is raised the seat 9 merely needs to be placed in register with the slot 8 and the spring then urges the arm 3 sidewise onto the raised seat 9. The spring bias secures the arm 3 on the raised seat 9 until it is desired to place the needle threader in its operative or lowered position. In order to place the needle threader in this latter position, the operator first moves the arm sidewise sufficiently to dsengage it from the raised seat 9, and then swings the arm 3 downwardly towards its operative position. As the arm 3 approaches its lower position it is held sidewise so as to pass by the locating screw 12 to the point where the larger end of the key-hole slot 8 is in register with'the locating screw. This positions the threading hook 20 at the same elevation as the needle eye. In order to pass the threading hook forwardly into the needle eye the arm 3 is moved sidewise so that it can slide forwardly on the shoulder of the screw 12. When so located relatively to the screw 12 the threading hook is in proper alignment with the thread eye 24 in the needle and thus can be moved forwardly into the thread-eye.

To further assist in locating the threading hook 20 in proper alignment with the needle-eye, the needle threader arm 3 has its free end 16 straddled by a spring clip 17 provided with spaced pairs of needle-embracing spring fingers 18 and 19. The thread-engaging hook 20 is accurately located on the swinging arm 3 together with the spring clip 17 by means of a fastening screw 21. The arm 3 is provided with an offset surface at its`free end for supporting the hook 20 and the spring clip 17 in a manner that allows the hook properly to engage the needle eye. The spring fingers 18 and 19 provide guiding means for assisting the operator in placing the thread-engaging hook 20 in the position shown in FIG. 3.

The reciprocating needle bar 15 as it comes to rest at the upper end of its stroke may be located at any one of a number of vertical positions. In order to eliminate the necessity of having to accurately locate the needle bar in only one position at the upper end of its stroke, the slot affords means whereby the needle threading device can be moved up and down to accommodate slight variations in the stopping position of the needle bar. Thus, the needle-threading apparatus of this invention provides a relatively simple but etcient mechanism for threading a needle while requiring a minimum amount of effort by the operator.

Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to a preferred embodiment of my invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope thereof.

Having thus set forth the nature of this invention, what I claim herein is:

1. In combination with 'a sewing machine having a frame including a head, a reciprocatory needle bar journaled in said head and carrying at its lower end a needle provided with a thread-carrying eye, and a needle thread-eye position reference element mounted on said needle bar, a needle-threading device including a main supporting arm having at one end thereof a slot, mounting means fastening said needle-threading device to said head, said mounting means extending through said slot and providing for swinging movement of said needlethreading device from an elevated retracted position to a lowered needle threading position, a thread-engaging member secured to said main supporting arm and disposed to enter the thread-carrying eye in said needle when said needle threading device is in lowered position, a needle engaging member mounted on said arm adjacent to'said thread-engaging member and operable accurately to position sidewise of said needle said thread-engaging member with the eye of said needle, and means on said arm adapted to cooperate with the needle thread-eye position reference element on said needle bar to locate said thread-engaging member at the exact elevation of said needle-eye, said means on said arm comprising a slot formed integrally therewith for slidably cooperating with said needle thread-eye position reference element disposed on said needle bar to accurately guide said threadengaging member freely through said thread eye, whereby the needle may be threaded by drawing the thread through the needle eye, said sewing machine frame being provided with storage support means for said needlethreading device, said support means comprising a raised portion adapted to engage said slot when said arm is placed in its retracted position.

2. In the combination defined in claim 1 wherein the portion of said arm including said thread-engaging member is offset from said one end of said arm for properly aligning said thread-engaging'member with the needle eye when the arm is in its lowered position and to facilitate storage of said needle threading device.

3. In the combination dened in claim 1 wherein said needle engaging member comprises a spring clip adapted to guide said thread-engaging member accurately through said needle eye.

4. In combination with a sewing machine having a frame including a head, a reciprocating needle bar carrying a needle bar clamp and having a needle carried in said clamp, said needle having a needle eye adapted to carry thread, a needle-threading apparatus comprising a pivotally mounted elongated arm adapted to be swung into an operative threading position and a stored position, said ar'm having a keyhole shaped locating slot disposed between the extremities of said arm, a member secured to said frame, a raised seat formed on said member, said locating slot being adapted to register with said raised seat when the arm is swung up into a stored position, shouldered locating means fastening to said needle bar clamp, said slot also being adapted to register with said shouldered locating means when the arm is swung down into threading position, the thread engaging portion of said elongated arm being offset from the remainder of said arm to facilitate movement into stored or threading position.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 6/1936 Germany. 3/1950 Switzerland.

P04050 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 56 CERTIFICATE 0E CORRECTION Patent M 3,505,965 Dated April 14, 1970 Inventor(s) James P. Smith It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 58, after "its" insert desired In the claims, column 4, line 42, delete "fastening" and insert fastened SIGNED AN'D SEALED AUG 4 .1970

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nests M' mefm" I" Ilm-1.1m E.' ISCRUIIIER, JE. AttestmgOfcer Comissioner of Patents 

